Apparatus for handling barrels and like articles



K. F. SNOW `une 22, 1937.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BARRELS AND LIKE ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. l0, 1951 K. F. SNOW `lune 22, 1937.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING BARRELS AND LIKE ARTICLES Filed Dec. 10, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :L m r m W m @/vo E @o 6 W 0 f U a 4 ./J @n 1 H A J y n u 4 y 5 Z Q@ M, y@ f Q //m a Q y 2 l/ B r 2 7 5 w l y w @d/0%@ W .l 3 W :la 4 f M L L v W w `9. .lill .ll a//X M 5/ a a u .7 0 3 0^ /M a W f 7 T L .Tli -L 7 ,4. ,l l; .I /4.

Patented June 22, 1937 APPARATUS Foa HANDLING BARRELS AND LIKE ARTICLES Karl F. Snow, Brecksville, Ohio, assigner 'to The C. 0. Bartlett & Snow Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a' corporation of Ohio Application December 10, 1931, Serial No. 580,126 A 3 Claims.

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling barrels or like articles, and while this invention will be described as relating to the drying and handling of barrels which have been freshly coated or painted, it will be understood that this invention may be applied to the handling and treating of articles other than barrels, and the treating operation is not restricted to the drying of the freshly coated articles.

Numerous difficulties are encountered in the handling and drying of freshly coated barrels and like articles, some of which may bebriey summarized as follows: When the barrel or like article is in its freshly coated state, extreme care must be exercised so that the surface of the article is not permitted to come in contact with any objects which would mar such freshly coated surface. The most expedient manner in which such freshly coated barrels can be handled is to support the same on their chime rings until the body of the barrel has dried sufliciently to permit handling in the ordinary fashion. The drying of the freshly coated barrels is eciently accomplished by conveying the same through a drying chamber which consists simply of a closed oven vto Which is supplied a draft of heated air so that .the coating on the barrels .is dried much more quickly than this result could be accomplished by 'having the barrels exposed to ordinary atmospheric conditions. For certain particular types of coating it has been found that in order to have the barrels dry by the time they have passed through the drying oven, it is necessary that such bannis remain in the oven for a considerable length of ti`me. The time interval in which the barrels remain in the oven is controlled by two factors: First, the length of the path in the oven which such barrels follow, and, second, the speed at which the barrels are moved. If a considerable number of barrels are to be dried in a relatively short time, that is, if production is to go forward at a desirable rate, it becomes necessary to have an oven of considerable length unless some provision is made to provide a circuitous path for the barrels through the oven.

It has been found by actual experience that even though the barrels are heated for a considerable time, they remain tacky after being discharged from the oven, probably due to the 50 fact that the heat maintains the coating of such articles in a soft state after the samey has been dried. 1t is among the objects of my invention to provide an apparatus for handling and drying 'barrels and like articles, which shall have all 55 of the above mentioned desirable characteristics,

and which shall be able to accomplish the above said desirable acts. Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the annexed drawings and the following description setting forth in detail certain mechanisms embodying .the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle ofthe invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings-V Fig. 1 is a plan view of, one form of apparatus embodying the principles of my invention'. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. l. Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in the previous gures. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1 taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 4-4. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view similar to Fig. 4 showing an alternative form of construction.

Referring more specifically to the drawings and more specifically to Figs. 1 and 2, the apparatus illustrated in these particular figures comprises a spraying or coating booth I, which has positioned therein a coating or spraying machine 2 shown consisting of a pair of parallel rotatable shafts 3 which have flanged collars 4 mounted thereon for the rpurpose of rotatably supporting the barrels to be coated on their chime rings. 'Ihe construction of this coatingapparatus will be more clearly understood with reference to i my co-pending application Ser. No. 427,627 filed Feb. 1 1, 1930 now Patent No. 1,871,430, so that a further description of this portion of the apparatus will not be gone into in this description. The spraying or coating booth may be provided With a vent stack 5 which is for the obvious purpose of discharging the noxious fumes from the booth.- The coating apparatus 2 has associated therewith a pair of parallel skids B which carry the barrels on their chime rings from such coating apparatus to a feeding apparatus, the construction of which will be more clearly understood with reference to Figs. 1 and 3. The feeding apparatus consists of an oscillatable shaft 'l which has secured thereto arms 8' which, for each oscillatioii of theV shaft 1, will feed a single barrel or like article from the skids 6 onto the apparatus next in line.

shaft lo, the arms s provided with iaterauy di-i, rected projections I I, which have oppositely slop- The apparatus unit which receives the freshly coated articles from the feeder arms 8 is an upender consisting of a pair of laterally spaced arms h 3 which are secured at one end to an oscillatable ing upper faces so that the barrel is supported on its chime rings on such upsetter. A common form of frame generally indicated at I2, and prefer- \ably consisting of fabricated structural steel elesite end which meshes with a driving gear II secured to the end of a shaft I2 which extends transversely of the drying oven, and to which are secured the sprockets 22 about which the endless chains 20 are trained. The shaft 32 has a pinion `33 secured to one end which meshes with a pinion another crank arm 38 secured to one end of the shaft III. The shaft I-which is journaled in in therefrom for a considerable distance, is the oven or drying chamber I3, through which the freshly coated barrels are transported and consequently dried. rAs more clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the drying oven I3 is substantially rectangularn form, consisting of lateral walls I4 y provided with spaced transversely extending -members I5 and I6, and of course the usual top and bottom members I1 which along with the side walls I4 form a closing chamber., Vent stacks I8 which are provided with suitable dampers I9 are mounted on the drying oven at spaced points, so

' that the egress of air from the drying oven may be accurately controlled and the efficiency of such oven increased.- The barrels are conveyed through the drying oven in an upset condition, i. e., resting on their chime rings. The barrels are carried through the oven by means of a pair of endless chains 20 which run in channel shaped track ways 2 I. The trackways for the chains are supported by the transverse members -I5 and i6.

Suitable sprockets 22 and 23 positioned on transversely extending shafts located a opposite ends of the oven are provided for the endless chains. Longitudinally extending laterally spaced arms 24 project from the oven and have rollers 25 mounted therebetween to receive the barrels from the upsetter arms 9 and convey the same onto the endless chains 20.

From an inspection of Figs. l and 2 it will be t noted that the closedportion of the drying oven extends only for part of the full length of the barrel conveyor chains 20, i. e., the barrels in being carried from one end of the drying apparatus tothe other are moving in the closed chamber, but only part of the time. The end of the closed chamber terminating short of the end of the endless chain permits barrels to be conveyed by such chain for some time While exposed to the rela tively cool atmosphere of the room, as compared with the heated air of the oven, and it is this exposure of the tacky barrels whenintially discharged from the heating chamber which causes a hardening of the coated surface which makes such surface hard and dry so as not to be marred in subsequent handling. The barrels therefore,

when they are `discharged from the endless chains have their coated surfaces hard and dry,

which would not result were the barrels to be discharged directly from the heating oven onto the receiving apparatus (not shown) for such barrels.

The actuation of the several handling units, associated with the receiving end of the drying oven is accomplished by means of a common form of motor 25 which drives a pinion 2I which meshes with'a driving gear 28 secured to a 'shaft The shaft 29 has a pinion 35 secured to its oppooven are therefore subjected to a heating atmosbearings mounted on the frame I2 has a beveled gear 33 secured thereto intermediately of its end which meshes -with a beveled gear 40 secured to tion of the shaft I0 and consequently the feeder l arms 8 and the upsetter arms 3. Synchronous operation of all of the feeding and handling units is therefore had so that the barrels are Yautomatically fed to the drying oven so that they occupy proper relative positions on the .endless chains 2lin their passage through the drying oven.

Referring specifically to Fig. 4, the air within the drying oven is vheated by means of a plurality of steam conduits 4I arrangedin banks along the sides of such oven. 4The barrels within the phere on all sides, so that the freshly coated surfaces thereof are equally and efficiently dried.

The alternative form of construction illustrated in oven by means of a conduit 42 which is positioned under the bottom of the oven and beneath the barrels passing therethrough. The conduit 42 for the heating air, is provided with a valve 43 which is in the nature of a flat plate which has a plurality of apertures formed therein adapted t0 register with similar apertures formed in the upper covering of the conduits 42 when such valve member is in proper relative position on such conduit. By manipulation of the valve 43 which extends laterally from the oven the draft of hot air through the oven and over the barrels, may be accurately controlled to effectively accomplish the drying ofthe-barrels therein.

In addition to the advantages of the hereinbefore described apparatus as enumerated at the outset of thisd'escription there are a number of other advantages which are believed to be so well known to those familiar with the art that a repetiy'tion thereof at this point is unnecessary. A

further description of the apparatus comprising my invention is believed unnecessary lfor those familiar with the art, it being noted that in a number` of instances the elements have been diagrammatically illustrated due to the'fact that such parts are common forms of construction well known to those familiar with the art.

By employing the method of drying barrels which has been hereinbefore described, the barrels may be quickly and emciently dried by an apparatus which occupies only a minimum amount of space and further, such barrels or like articles when discharged from the apparatus will not be tacky, but will have a hard dry finish and capable of being handled without marring.

Other modes of applying the Vprinciple of my invention may be employe instead of the one explained, change being ade as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such'stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a mechanism for handling freshly painted barrels, and the like, in combination, an oscillating cradle' adapted to support barrels 'in a horizontal position while receiving and discharging same, said cradle comprising an oscillating shaft and feeder arms xedly mounted thereon in spaced relation such as toengage the chime rings of a barrel passed thereover; an up-ender so positioned as to receive barrels discharged from said cradle, said up-ender comprising an oscillat; ing shaft mounted at right angles to said oscillating shaft first named and operating therewith through engaged bevel gears on said respective shafts. and spaced up-ending arms iixedly mounted on said shaft secondly named, each of said up-ending arms carrying spaced projections engaging the chime rings of a barrel passed thereover; a conveyor adapted to receive and remove barrels placed thereupon by said up-ender, said conveyor comprising a conveyor chain, and rollers so positioned as to contact the bottom chime rings of a barrel as it is being up-ended by said upending arms whose continued movement forces the barrel over the said rollers-onto said chain; and means oscillating vsaid shaft last named through an angle of about ninety degrees, whereby the said up-ending arms are lifted fromhorizontal t vertical and`returned..

2. In a` mechanism for handling freshly painted barrels and the like, in combination, an oscillating cradle having a shaft and rockers mounted thereon engaging the chime rings of a barrel in horizontal position with its axis parallel to said shaft;

an up-ender having a shaft and arms so positioned as to receive a barrel discharged from said cradle as it oscillates and support same with its axis parallel to said arms, said arms being xedly mounted at right angles to said up-ender shaft and carrying projections which engage the chime rings of a barrel resting thereon;v intermeshing gears mounted on said shafts whereby they oscillate synchronously; a conveyor positioned to receive barrels discharged from said up-ender; and power means oscillating one of said shafts.

3. In a mechanism for handling freshly painted barrels, and the like, in combination, an oscillating shaft and cradle arms mounted iixedly transversely thereof; a second oscillating shaft at right angles to said first shaft and operatively connected therewith; up-ending arms iixedly mounted by one end on said second shaft at right. angles thereto, and so positioned -that a barrel discharged from said cradle arms will be received thereby and held with its axis perpendicular to said second shaft; power means oscillating one of said shafts whereby said cradle arms and said 

